Man pleads guilty to being accessory in Pine Ridge slaying

February 9, 2018

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A man charged in a fatal shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation last May has admitted helping the shooting suspects evade authorities.

The Rapid City Journal reports that 30-year-old Scott Benson recently pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the killing of 42-year-old Christopher Janis, which happened near Sharps Corner. Prosecutors in return agreed to drop weapons charges.

Benson faces up to 15 years in federal prison when he’s sentenced in May.

Clarence Yellow Hawk and Jamie Shoulders are accused of shooting Janis. Their cases are ongoing.